WHY I THINK FRANK McCORMICK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK FRANK McCORMICK SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Frank McCormick has a rather interesting Hall of Fame case. He was the NL’s best defensive first baseman in the 1940’s and late 1930’s, a three time league leader in hits, and the NL MVP in 1940. He played in 12 games for the Reds in 1934, ten as a pinch hitter, and went 5-for-16. At 23 years old, the future looked bright for young McCormick. Unfortunately, he was demoted to the minors, and although he excelled (including a .381 mark with 49 doubles in 1936), it took him almost three full years to get back to the big club. He played sparingly in 1937, but he batted .325 in 24 games, so the Reds, not wanting to make the same mistake twice, immediately added McCormick to their starting lineup for 1938. This proved to be a good move, as he led the NL in hits and drove in more than 100 runs in each of his first three full seasons. He led the Reds to consecutive pennants in 1939 and 1940, losing out to the Yankees in ‘39 but topping Detroit in ‘40. McCormick slumped to .269 and 97 RBI’s in 1941, but struck out only 13 times, making him the hardest batter in the league to whiff. He soon regained his old batting stroke, topping .300 in both 1943 and 1944. McCormick had a particularly good year in 1944, when he hit .302 with 20 home runs and 102 RBI’s, helping him to his eight consecutive all-star selection and his best season since 1940. McCormick seemed to be finished in 1945, as he cut his home run total in half, so the Reds dealt him over to Philadelphia and the Phillies. He responded with his ninth all-star season in 1946, when he set the MLB record for fielding percentage by a first baseman (.999). McCormick batted .333 in 1947, mostly with the Boston Braves, and finished out his career with the club in 1948. He drove in 34 runs in 180 at bats in the regular season, and helped the team to its first World Series title since 1914. Frank McCormick was a tough out, a good RBI man, and a fine defensive first baseman. If his career was not put on hold for three seasons, I’d imagine that he would be in the Hall of Fame today, and he would not be out of place if he were inducted sometime in the future. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,534 season high: 156 in 1939 

At Bats career: 5,723 season high: 640 in 1938 led NL: 640 in 1938, 618 in 1940 

Hits career: 1,711 season high: 209 in 1938 and 1939 led NL: 209 in 1938 and 1939, 191 in 1940 

Doubles career: 334 season high: 44 in 1940 led NL: 44 in 1940 

Triples career: 26 season high: 5 in 1941 

Home Runs career: 128 season high: 20 in 1944 

Runs career: 722 season high: 99 in 1939 

Runs Batted In career: 954 season high: 128 in 1939 led NL: 128 in 1939 

Stolen Bases career: 27 season high: 7 in 1944 

Walks career: 399 season high: 57 in 1944 

Strikeouts career: 189 season high: 26 in 1940 

Batting Average career: .299 season high: .332 in 1939 

On Base Percentage career: .348 season high: .374 in 1939 

Slugging Percentage career: .434 season high: .495 in 1939 

Total Bases career: 2,481 season high: 312 in 1939 

Sacrifice Hits career: 58 season high: 16 in 1939 

Fielding Percentage career: .995 season high: .999 in 1946 led NL 1B: .996 in 1939, .995 in 1940 and 1941, .999 in 1946 

Double Plays career: 1,221 season high: 153 in 1939 led NL 1B: 153 in 1939, 146 in 1940, 130 in 1941, 132 in 1942 

Putouts career: 13,803 season high: 1,587 in 1940 led NL 1B: 1,518 in 1939, 1,587 in 1940, 1,464 in 1941, 1,403 in 1942, 1,508 in 1944, 1,469 in 1945 

Assists career: 1,003 season high: 135 in 1944 led NL 1B: 135 in 1944, 118 in 1945 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-nicknamed “Buck” and “Wildcat” 

-also finished fourth in the NL MVP Award voting in 1939, fifth in 1938, ninth in 1943, 13th in 1944, 24th in 1945, 27th in 1942, and 34th in 1946 

-led the NL in singles (160) in 1938 and in intentional walks (21) in 1945 

-led NL first basemen in games four times 

-had seven hits in a doubleheader on his first day back in the Majors after his three year wait 

-hit five home runs off of Lon Warneke, three off of Mort Cooper, and one off of Dizzy Dean 

-batted .400 in the 1939 World Series 

-had a career fielding percentage five points above the league average (a significant number for a first baseman) 

-his 153 double plays in 1939 are the 40th most in history among first basemen 

-ranks 23rd in career at bats per strikeout 

-among MLB first basemen, ranks 32nd in career fielding percentage 

-also played four games at second base and one in rightfield